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“I’m turning away six individuals a day for out-of-date passports” – that was the stark declare from a floor handler working for Norwegian at Gatwick airport.
The workers member had simply needlessly wrecked a household’s shock birthday journey to Copenhagen by misrepresenting the passport validity guidelines which have utilized for British travellers for the previous 4 years.
Caroline Wright from Brighton and daughter Tess had organized for a sixtieth birthday shock journey to Copenhagen for her husband Steve.
He learnt of the vacation spot solely at 6.45am on Friday morning after they arrived at London Gatwick airport to verify in for Norwegian flight 3511 to the Danish capital.
The household all had passports compliant with the post-Brexit guidelines for British travellers to the European Union:
- On the day of outbound journey, lower than 10 years because the situation date.
- On the meant day of return, at the least three months remaining earlier than the expiry date.
The Unbiased knowledgeable all of the main airways of the principles in 2021, quickly after they took impact.
However Caroline Wright says the bottom workers have been confused about whether or not the passports have been legitimate.
“The Norwegian floor crew woman within the space seemed on the passports and thought there possibly was one thing unsuitable with them – however was unsure and didn’t appear to know the principles,” she mentioned.
“She thought it possibly mine because it expires in June this yr. She requested me to speak along with her male colleague who was stationed on the baggage check-in desk. He was unsure, however photographed each mine and Steve’s passports and despatched them to his supervisor.
“While we have been ready, one other colleague subsequent to him requested him the difficulty and he or she mentioned they need to be OK.
“By this level it was a rollercoaster of feelings.”
Bizarrely, the supervisor determined to use a rule that has by no means existed.
“They claimed that Steve’s passport was invalid since there was not three months left till the date of 31 March 2025 when she mentioned it ‘expired’ as a result of 10-year-rule of when it was issued.”
There is no such thing as a such rule. Mr Wright’s passport, which The Unbiased has seen, is legitimate for journey out to the European Union as much as the tip of March for a keep of as much as a month.
Mrs Wright mentioned: “By this level my stress ranges have been by means of the roof and I used to be feeling very faint. Up till 10 minutes earlier to this my husband had no thought the place he was heading because it was a shock journey for his sixtieth birthday, so to be advised we couldn’t go was devastating.”
As typically occurs in these circumstances, the passengers have been blamed for the choice – despite the fact that they have been clearly in the appropriate.
“The woman supervisor came visiting and defined there was nothing they may do, the passport was merely invalid and it was our accountability to make sure we had the right documentation.
“She repeated that the passport expires on the date of the 10-year anniversary of situation and there was lower than three months till this date. She mentioned she was turning round six individuals a day away for a similar causes.
“She was adamant, and on seeing how distraught I used to be, advised we ring to see if we may get an emergency passport appointment in London and guide one other flight, since Steve’s birthday was not till Wednesday.
“This was of no consolation – my daughter has exams subsequent week, therefore the flight dates throughout half time period.
“We left and took the practice house to Brighton, however after all I couldn’t let this go, and began researching to grasp how I may have missed this ‘rule’.“
Ms Wright discovered an article in The Unbiased about a similar case on the same day, involving KLM – who turned away a pair from Hull who have been heading from Humberside airport to Paris for a birthday celebration.
The Wright household are nearly £1,300 out of pocket on account of the bottom workers’s mistake. The Unbiased has requested Norwegian for a response.
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